The open letter condemns the far right’s “racist lies” under the guise of protecting women and girls.
In response to the wave of protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers, a coalition of women has issued an open letter urging politicians to stop linking immigration to sexual abuse.
The letter, titled Women Against the Far Right, challenges inflammatory claims made by political figures such as Nigel Farage and shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick.
Farage has attempted to tie rising rates of sexual offences in the UK to government immigration policies. Meanwhile, Jenrick, who recently joined anti-refugee protests outside asylum seeker accommodation in Epping, Essex, claimed that the arrival of asylum seekers with “medieval attitudes” made him fear for the safety of his three young daughters.
The open letter asserts that such narrative is not only baseless but also dangerous. “There is no evidence that people seeking refuge are more likely to commit acts of sexual violence,” it reads. “Many are themselves survivors of violence, war, and persecution. Blaming them distracts from tackling the deep-rooted causes of abuse and from holding those truly responsible to account.”
It goes on to condemn the far right’s “racist lies” under the guise of protecting women and girls. “They are not defenders of women – they exploit violence against women to fuel hate and division,” the letter states.
The campaign has been coordinated by Stand Up to Racism and signed by over 6,000 people, including numerous high-profile women across politics, unions, and the arts. Signatories include Fran Heathcote, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Sarah Woolley of the BFAWU, and Maryam Eslamdoust of the TSSA. Musicians Shirley Manson, Paloma Faith, Charlotte Church, and Anoushka Shankar have also added their voices to the campaign.
Support has also come from across the political spectrum, including Labour, Green, and independent MPs such as Kim Johnson, Ellie Chowns, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Diane Abbott, and Zarah Sultana. Advocacy groups such as Abortion Rights UK are also among the supporters.
The letter is released ahead of a major gathering in London on September 13, where campaigners will come together to stand against Tommy Robinson and the far right. The event aims to show solidarity with victims and survivors of violence, while confirming a collective commitment to justice for all women.
A recent Guardian investigation underlines the urgency of the Women Against the Far Right campaign. It revealed that two in five people arrested during last summer’s riots had previously been reported to police for domestic abuse, highlighting the need to address violence within all communities, rather than scapegoating migrants and asylum seekers.
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